Want to learn to sketch comedy? Many popular comedy sketches are used in TV, stage, and stand-up comedy shows. In making comedy sketches, idea search, sketch writing, and sketch refinement are needed to produce funny and well-structured jokes.
Step
Part 1 of 3: Looking for Ideas
Step 1. Consider how your comedy sketch will be presented
Are you sketching comedy for movies, plays, speeches or Youtube videos?
Depending on the means of delivery of the sketch, equipment such as props, costumes, lighting, or digital effects may be used to produce a comedic effect
Step 2. Consider who your audience will be
Certain types of comedy are suitable for certain audiences. Don't use topics that are boring or too sensitive for the audience.
- Consider the average age of the audience. If it's a children's show, choose material that is appropriate for younger children, such as teddy bears, ponies, or popular cartoons. If it's an adult show, choose an adult-appropriate topic, such as sex, violence, international issues, politics, parenting, or the world of work.
- Consider the group that is your audience. If you like comedy that's less witty, but the audience seems to come from a literate audience, consider the audience's expectations. Remember, things that are funny to you, may be offensive, sensitive, or even offensive to others. A joke about a wealthy businessman may be appropriate for a lower- and middle-class audience, but may not be funny for an upper-class audience.
- There are, however, a few exceptions, when the offending topic may be used. For example, a roast is an event where people gather to laugh at someone. However, remember, even at events like roast, mocking jokes need to be paired with upbeat jokes.
Step 3. Study other comedy sketches
Search the internet and learn about popular comedy sketches, groups and shows, such as Indonesia Lawak Klub and Stand Up Comedy Show.
- This step is important to know 2 things: first, what most people find funny and, second, what has been shown. As much as possible, your jokes should be original because humor is achieved because the audience can't guess the plot of the joke.
- Know the type of joke you are doing and also the audience's expectations of that type of joke. Don't let yourself display an inappropriate self-image or joke.
Step 4. Look for ideas
After considering the means of delivering comedy sketches that will be used and the audience group that will watch, what topics do you think the audience likes? Comedy sketches cannot be written without looking for ideas first. There are many ways to come up with ideas before writing a comedy sketch. Consider all the topics you might be able to work on.
- Write down all the ideas that come to mind. You can never guess when inspiration strikes. When you buy donuts at the store, comedic sketch ideas about snacks, meals, or exercise may suddenly come to mind.
- Inspiration can also be obtained from popular movies, TV shows, books, or comics. Some of the best comedy sketches are parodies of popular works of fiction or nonfiction.
- For example, the Indiana Jones film series can be parodied. The main character is a professor, but professors generally don't experience as much adventure as he does. In the parody, play the role of a “real” professor who is in the same situation as Indiana Jones.
- Many people get ideas with the word association method. Write down on paper a word or main idea, then write down 5 words that automatically come to mind. Odd-looking combinations of words may be used to create comedy sketches.
- For example, start with the word “bear”. Then, write down the word or concept that comes to mind when you think of the word “bear,” such as wild, dangerous, wrestling, fish-loving, or furry. Consider words that might interest you and your audience. Maybe you can make a comedy sketch about a wrestling bear.
Step 5. From the ideas that have been obtained, develop them into good jokes
The best jokes are often absurd and surprising.
- Like magicians, comedians must be good at misleading the audience. At the beginning of the joke, bring the audience in one direction, then deliver an unexpected "punch line" (the end of a joke that is usually funny).
- Example: I once wrestled with a bear. The bear weighs less than a pound and is filled with cotton.
- The example of the joke above uses the technique of misdirection. The first sentence is an idea developed using the word association method. The sentence raises the suspicion that the next story is about a human who fights a grizzly bear weighing 200 kg so that the story becomes funny when it turns out that the one he is fighting is a teddy bear. This joke is also funny because it makes no sense; How many adults are known to wrestle against a teddy bear?
Step 6. Tell jokes in an appropriate way and at the right time
Comedians agree that the success of comedy lies in the timing.
Consider how to tell a joke about wrestling a bear. Pause after saying, “I once wrestled with a bear.” Pause for a second or two to give the audience a chance to imagine you're battling a bear and all the dangers that come with the action. You can also sigh deeply to indicate that the next story is serious. Then say, "The bear weighs less than a pound and is filled with cotton." Something unexpected happened and the audience laughed. If the second sentence is spoken directly after the first sentence, the audience will not have time to assume so the joke fails
Step 7. Develop an idea or joke into a premise
Most good comedy sketches start with an idea. Now is the time to develop your main idea.
- Consider the premise you choose. Don't be afraid to write and throw away ideas. 10 ideas may need to be considered before you get 1 great idea.
- For example, you choose the premise of an adult wrestling against a teddy bear. Many comedians agree that a good joke needs to be made somewhat real. Focus on real normal action; don't suddenly switch to “teddy bears in space” or “teddy bears come to life” because the audience won't be able to follow the flow of your jokes.
- Focus on the action already established in the premise. What wrestling technique did you use on the bear: head lock, full-nelson, or some other tricky lock? Where does the wrestling fight take place: your daughter's bedroom or the toy store? What caused the fight? How is the result? Use questions about the action and the place to develop an idea or joke into a premise.
Part 2 of 3: Writing Comedy Sketches
Step 1. Outline the comedy sketch
The basic premise has been obtained. Now it's time to outline the comedy sketch, which includes how to start the joke, what premise or crude joke fills most of the sketch, and how to end the joke.
Many comedians write comedy sketches of the endings. If you've already imagined the ending of the joke (for example, a man fighting a teddy bear in a toy store), start there and write down the events that led to the ending. Maybe the guy doesn't like the way the teddy bear "looks at him" when he walks into the toy store to buy a birthday present for his daughter. Maybe the guy is stressed from work and just wants to hit something. Perhaps the teddy bear reminded the man of the person he despised. Imagine to develop the storyline
Step 2. Understand and use standard script writing formats
Don't forget to include setting, dialogue/monologue, acting hints, and stage hints.
- Define the background. The characters or figures in your sketch will be in at least one place. Describe the background in detail. What objects are in the background with the characters? In the sketch comedy fight against a teddy bear at the toy store, describe the appearance of the other stuffed animals and how they witnessed the fight. Also describe the bright colors of the shop to make the weirdness of the fight even more obvious.
- Character names should be written differently from the dialogue/monologue. Write the name of the character in bold/italics. After the character's name, write a colon.
- Write a dialogue/monologue. Many scriptwriters include certain signs to indicate the character's speech pattern. For example, if a character stutters, the scriptwriter may use a period or a space to indicate a stuttering pattern.
- Write acting hints. Consider the actions of the cast of characters. Most likely, the character actors don't just say the dialogue/monologue in front of the audience. Include directions on how to look, how to stand, body language, and other aspects of what the character should do. Comedy sketchers often write "pause for the audience's laughter" so the audience can laugh without missing a scene.
- Write a stage guide. Include instructions so that the cast knows where to walk on stage, whether to sit or stand, and when to enter or leave the stage.
Step 3. Consider the division of jokes throughout the sketch
Don't put all jokes at the beginning or at the end. Arrange the jokes to spread evenly throughout the sketch.
- Jokes and punch lines can be overlapped for better effect, especially when a punch line is used over and over again.
- Many comedians like to use callbacks in their comedy sketches. A callback is a reference at the end of the sketch to something that happened at the beginning of the sketch. For example, if at the beginning of a comedy sketch of a man wrestling with a teddy bear it was mentioned that the man went to the toy store to buy his daughter a birthday present, make a joke about the birthday present the man's daughter ended up getting at the end of the sketch. Maybe something like, “Finally, my son got a broken teddy bear as a birthday present because the store manager demanded that I buy the item I damaged.”
Step 4. Finish the rough draft first before starting to edit
Some people are so focused on editing that they lose the overall flow of the joke. After creating the outline, write a rough draft to completion. If so, the revision phase can begin.
Part 3 of 3: Perfecting Comedy Sketch
Step 1. Double-check and edit your sketch
Display the sketch. Record yourself and watch. Make sure each sentence is easy to understand. If the audience doesn't understand what you're saying, they won't pick up on your funny jokes.
Step 2. Practice
Practice in front of a mirror, demonstrate in front of a replica audience, or do whatever it takes to test your comedy sketches. Then, re-edit the sketch if necessary. Fix quirks, increase cuteness, revise sketches, and more. Practice perfects the joke.
- In this example of a comedy sketch about a man wrestling with a teddy bear, use a real teddy bear and fight with the teddy bear. Battle details can be obtained after reenacting the scene. This method helps make the sketch more realistic. With demonstration, you may find that the head lock technique is difficult for a teddy bear because the head of the doll is filled with cotton so it easily slips out of your hand. Those details can then be included in the comedy sketch.
- Test and improve, test and improve, learn from mistakes. That's the point.
Step 3. Show it in front of a real audience
Now it's time to show your comedy sketches in public!
